“Come on! Grow a pot of lettuce, man.”

Well, this Felder Rushing, self-described "slow gardener," sounds like a hoot.

The entire space [of his garden] is encased by a fence of corrugated tin designed to thwart rubberneckers. “I’m not a snob, but I’m outside in my bathrobe a lot, and in the mornings I look like Jesus’ drunk brother,” he said.

But his approach is sound. On starting modestly: “Build up to your level of comfort as your expertise grows. Don’t start out with a big area and a tiller like a farmer.” On composting: “I’ve got two rules: stop throwing all that stuff away and pile it up.” On scale: “Grow something in a pot that you can cook. It’s not that hard.”

That last bit is, I think, the best. There's no reason to think that vegetable gardening needs to be a stressful, expensive, and extensive undertaking. Even a couple of containers of tomato plants on a sunny porch or patio is a good thing and a great start.